On Yer Bike!
by The Steppy One
Summary: James and Sirius discuss the impending war.


**Well this is a little different! This is the third of my LJ anniversary prompts I'm slowly making my way through ('Of Fish, Freckles and Seaweed' and 'Some Things Never Change' being the other two). I've never written Marauder Era before so this was challenging but fun at the same time. Let me know what you think:D**

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'You bought a motorbike? Aren't there more important things you should be spending your money on than Muggle transportation.'

'Oh stop being an old woman, Potter! What oh-so-important things do I have to spend my money on other than a motorbike, which, by the way, isn't exactly entirely Muggle.'

'Now, there's a surprise, and in answer to your response to my 'old woman worrying' I dunno, say _the rest of your life!_'

Sirius rolled his eyes at his friends comment.

'Look, in a few weeks I start my very sensible and boring job that will bring me a steady wage, which I can put into a Gringotts high interest savings account blah, blah, blah, but until then let me enjoy my last few weeks as a reckless eighteen year old and don't react like McGonagall faced with a miniskirt at the thought of me getting a motorbike! We may not have our freedom for much longer so let me enjoy it while I can!'

James went quiet at Sirius's tirade of words and looked intently at the shiny black paint and chrome of the motorbike.

'It won't come to that, we'll fight, we _have_ to!'

'Of course we will! But things are changing, James, you know that! We've been in the Order all of a month and the amount of movement in the Ministry in that time has been ridiculous! Even if things settle down, it just means they're waiting for other things to get into place before they make their next move.'

His face went from serious to joyful as he swung his leg over the seat of the bike and gripped the handlebars tightly.

'I can't get her to leave, you know.'

'James, I told you before you asked her that getting Lily to leave the Order was a stupid thing to ask her to do. You knew she'd say no, I don't know why you bothered!'

'I don't want her to get hurt!'

'I doubt she wants to get hurt either, but she isn't gonna sit on her arse and watch while you go off fighting evil, is she? How would you like it if she demand you stay at home while she went off having fun?'

'Fun? I'm sorry, what about escaping Death Eaters hell bent on causing pain or even death is fun?'

'Oh I don't know, brings a bit of excitement to the days, doesn't it?'

'How can you be so…_flippant_ about this?'

'Flippant? I'm never flippant, James.'

'But you're being so upbeat about it all! This is…this is _war_, Sirius!'

'I know!'

Sirius grinned at James before turning his attention back to the gleaming machine beneath him.

'You're smiling about the prospect of being at war? Okay, Sirius, I know you're normally the optimistic one, but, really, you're being…weird.'

Sirius turned back to James and looked as serious as he ever got.

'Oh, James, I'm not going to get all tense and angry because of the prospect of some evil bastard and his minions trying to take over the Wizarding world. Yes, if it happened it would be devastating but it wouldn't last forever, tyrants are always overthrown.'

'That's it? That's your reasoning for being calm about this? _Eventually_ it will all be okay, because that's what _always_ happens? Are you joking?'

Sirius sighed loudly, swung his leg back over the bike and stood up, inches from James.

'Sit on the bike.'

'What?'

'Sit on the damn bike!'

James huffed and reluctantly sat on the leather seat. He leant forward and held the handlebars.

'She's really got to you, hasn't she?'

James looked at Sirius, confused.

'Come on Potter, I know you well enough to know that all this is because of Lily. You're scared for her and you're scared that you won't get all you want to have with her?'

'You know, if Lily'd heard that she'd have hit you by now.'

'Oh get your mind out the gutter, Potter, I wasn't talking about sex! I was talking about all that grown up crap you keep harping on about, marriage and…spawning! Although technically spawning is about sex so, maybe your mind _was_ in the right place!'

James sniggered.

'Look, I can't know how you feel, not properly anyway, but don't let your lovey dovey feelings make you short sighted of the bigger picture. Everything will be okay, trust me!'

James laughed out loud. 'Trust you! You've got to be joking! You've just bought a magically enhanced motorbike!'

'It's beautiful, isn't it?'

'It's metal, oil and leather!'

'Exactly, _leather_.'

He waggled his eyebrows and looked at James.

'I don't like that you looked at _me_ when you said that, Black!'

'Yes because I bought this so I could take _you_ on moonlit rides into the sky!'

'It _flies?_'

'Of course it flies! What good is it being magical if it doesn't fly?'

'Blimey!'

'Reckon Lily'd let me take her for a ride on it?'

'Reckon I'd let _you_ take Lily for a ride on it?'

'Aw, come on, James, she'd be safe with me, she can hold onto me nice and tightly whilst I fly us over the hills!'

James hit Sirius on the back of the head. 'Careful!'

'You know I'm only winding you up!'

'Yeah, right!'

'I will let you borrow it when you want to propose to her though, that would be a proposal to remember!'

James turned his head sharply towards Sirius.

'What? I… How--?'

'You didn't hide the book of Bonding Magic very well when I came into your room earlier. In fact as a Marauder I should reprimand you for being so rubbish at it, but this time I'll forgive you.'

'Oh.'

'So when are you going to do it?'

'I don't know if I am yet.'

'You've thought this through then!'

'Oh sod off! You were right before, I want all that grown up stuff and I want it with Lily. It's just…it's pretty quick and I don't want her to think I'm doing it just because of the prospect of war tearing the community apart.'

'Are you just doing it at the prospect of war tearing the community apart.'

'No! I want to marry her because I love her, but I don't want to wait because…well…'

'Because you're a pessimistic sod and don't think you'll see the end of this war?'

'Well, there's no need to put it that bluntly!'

'True though.'

'Let's just say I'm not as confident as you about the outcome of it all.'

'Well, whatever the outcome of the war that hasn't actually started yet, I still have a brand new magical motorbike that is dying to be ridden. Fancy a go?'

'Yeah! Where are the keys?'

'HA! Do you honestly think I'm gonna give you the keys?'

'But you said—'

'You can sit behind me, just make sure you hold on tight!'

James raised his eyebrows.

'Fine, don't and fall off! But I'm not scraping you off the ground and taking you back to Lily! You can explain that one yourself.'

'Fine!'

Sirius, careful not to kick James in any way, swung his leg over the bike and sat down.

'Budge up, James, I don't bite, you know!'

'Don't you dare say, _unless you ask me too!_'

Sirius started the engine and the motorbike roared to life.

'Wouldn't dream of it! Sorry to disappoint you, Potter, but you're just not my type!'


End file.
